Beaten fighter awake, walking

A 22-year-old Costa Mesa man pummeled outside a convenience store in early August is recovering faster than doctors expected, family members said.

Fateh Abdeljalil and Francisco Javier Garnica were attacked outside a 7-Eleven at Harbor Boulevard and East Mesa Verde Drive at about 1 a.m. Aug. 2, according to police.

Early police reports stated that Abdeljalil and Garnica exchanged words with their attackers and that it quickly escalated into a fight, spilling onto East Mesa Verde Drive.

The fight left Abdeljalil in a coma for more than two weeks. Doctors told him and his family that he would not walk for at least six months. Abdeljalil got out of the hospital earlier this month and is already walking, he said.

Prosecutors say 18-year-old Mario Ruelas and 17-year-old Christian Tejeda attacked Abdeljalil and Garnica. The suspects are accused of using bats and brass knuckles against Abdeljalil and Garnica, 27.

Garnica was not injured severely, and he refused medical attention, police said.

Ruelas and Tejeda were two of four people arrested in relation to the attack, but prosecutors have decided not to press charges against the other two for now.

Both suspects pleaded not guilty Wednesday and will be back in court for a pretrial hearing Oct. 3. They face multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault, multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of a deadly weapon.

According to the criminal complaint, the suspects struck Abdeljalil in the head with a bat and wrapped brass knuckles over their fists during the scuffle.

Police also found a billy club and a dagger in Tejeda’s possession, prosecutors said.

Many of the charges were enhanced due to the severity of Abdeljalil’s injuries.

Ruelas and Tejeda remain in custody.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].